Hippocalcin Promotes Neuronal Differentiation and Inhibits Astrocytic Differentiation in Neural Stem Cells.

Hippocalcin (HPCA) is a calcium-binding protein that is restricted to nervous tissue and contributes to neuronal activity. Here we report that, in addition to inducing neurogenesis, HPCA inhibits astrocytic differentiation of neural stem cells. It promotes neurogenesis by regulating protein kinase Cα (PKCα) activation by translocating to the membrane and binding to phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase 1 (PDK1), which induces PKCα phosphorylation.

Late-Exponential Gene Expression in codY-Deficient Bacillus anthracis in a Host-Like Environment.

CodY is a pleiotropic regulator commonly found in Gram-positive bacteria and regulates various biological processes during the stringent response in a nutrient-limiting environment. CodY also participates in virulence factor expression in many low G+C Gram-positive pathogens, as observed in Bacillus anthracis. However, the mechanism by which B.

Phospholipase D1 increases Bcl-2 expression during neuronal differentiation of rat neural stem cells.

We studied the possible role of phospholipase D1 (PLD1) in the neuronal differentiation, including neurite formation of neural stem cells. PLD1 protein and PLD activity increased during neuronal differentiation. Bcl-2 also increased.

Phospholipase D1 mediates bFGF-induced Bcl-2 expression leading to neurite outgrowth in H19-7 cells.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the role of PLD (phospholipase D) in bFGF (basic fibroblast growth factor)-induced Bcl-2 expression and to examine whether overexpressed Bcl-2 influences neurite outgrowth in immortalized hippocampal progenitor cells (H19-7 cells). We found that Bcl-2 expression was maximally induced by bFGF within 24 h, and that this effect was reduced by inhibiting PLD1 expression with PLD1 small interfering RNA or by overexpressing DN (dominant-negative)-PLD1, whereas PLD1 overexpression markedly induced Bcl-2 expression. bFGF treatment activated Ras, Src, PI3K (phosphoinositide 3-kinase), PLCγ (phospholipase Cγ) and PKCα (protein kinase Cα).